Working in Poland while waiting for a residence permit

You can keep working in Poland while waiting for your residence permit only if you already have the right to work. Generally, you may be able to stay in the same job if you submitted the application on time. The tricky part starts when your employer changes, a permit is close to expiring, or the document that covered your job has already ended.

When you can work while waiting

You can keep working if something already covers the job: an existing work document, the continuation of legal stay rules, or an exemption from the work-permit requirement.

Some examples are:

• your current job is covered by the continuation of legal stay rules;

• you have a valid separate work permit;

• you have another valid form of work authorisation;

• you’re a full-time student who can work;

• you graduated from a Polish university and qualify for a work-permit exemption;

• you hold Karta Polaka;

• your residence or protection status gives you access to the Polish labour market;

• you fit another exemption from the work-permit requirement.

The list reflects the rules in force in 2026. Check the latest MOS (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration) guidance to verify.

The rules can feel technical, but the wider aim is to give people more stability at work. “Having a more stable and longer basis for work, foreign nationals are going to find it much easier to integrate into the Polish labour market and our society,” said Iwona Michałek, former Deputy Minister for Economic Development, Labour and Technology.

Different work situations while you wait

You may stay with the same employer, change jobs, work under a separate permit or continue working in Poland without one at all. What you can do while waiting depends on which of these situations you're in.

If you stay with the same employer

You can keep working if you submit a residence application before your current permit expires and continuation rules cover you. 

Say you’re already working for Company A and your current documents run out on September 30th. You send the application on September 10th and nothing about the job changes. If the continuation of legal stay rules apply to you, you can stay in the same job after September 30th while you wait for the decision.

Check:

1. When your current permit expiry date falls.

2. When you submitted the new residence application.

3. Whether you work for the same employer.

4. Whether your position and working conditions stayed the same.

If you want to change employers

You may need new work documents and an update of the employment details in your residence application. If your current right to work is linked to Company A, Company B should arrange a work permit or another form of work authorisation before you start. 

If you already hold a combined temporary residence and work permit, see the guide to changing employers with a Polish work permit.

More tips for expats in Poland:

• Jobs in Poland for English speakers.

• Warsaw public transport: Guide for newcomers.

If you don’t need a work permit

You can keep working if you’re allowed to do so without a permit: you may hold Karta Polaka, be a graduate of a Polish university, or fit another exemption.

Real-life case: you’re studying full time in Poland and have a part-time job on the side. Your current student documents let you work, and you send the next application before they run out. You can carry on with the job while you wait for the new decision. Your employer doesn’t need to do anything extra for the work itself. The main thing for you is to keep your stay in Poland in order during that gap.

In case of exemption, your employer doesn’t need to arrange new documents for you. You still need to check that your right to remain in Poland is valid while you wait for the residence decision.

If you have a separate work permit

You can keep working if your separate work permit is valid and you stay within the work permit conditions listed in it. If the permit expiry date comes before you get a residence decision, check whether the rules let you stay in the same job.

As an expat in Poland, you may need to send part of your salary to family back home, help a friend or transfer money to your own account abroad. You can use online service Profee, to send money online to over 90 destinations. As of 2026, 95% of Profee transfers arrive within minutes, although speed and availability depend on the destination and payment method.

Сheck the exchange rate, transfer fee and the exact amount your recipient will get on the transfer page or in the Profee app.

Checking whether you can work

Start with understanding your situation: which documents allow you to stay and work? When do the documents expire? Then, find the closest match in the table.

The table reflects the rules in force in 2026. Immigration law can change, so check the latest MOS guidance if your documents are close to expiry or your job situation changes.

Small things that make the wait easier

The best thing you can do is keep your documents, dates and messages organised in one place. It makes everything easier if HR asks a question, an office requests something again or you need to check what happened a few months later.

A few other things help too:

• Add key dates to your calendar. Set reminders early enough to deal with anything that comes up.

• Keep copies of important messages. Save emails, confirmations, letters and PDFs instead of relying on old links.

• Don’t rush a job change. Make sure the next step is sorted before you hand in your notice.

• Keep your own timeline. Note when you sent documents, got replies and changed jobs. It can save a lot of confusion later.

• Check travel plans before booking. Getting out is easy; getting back can be the part that catches people out.

FAQ: Working in Poland while waiting for a residence permit